Thursday, August 30, 2012

As I witnessed
today, a senior citizen working humbly as a cleaner of a huge shopping mall
stuffed with the most expensive brands in the heart of our shopping district,
PM Lee Hsien Loong’s message of “feel for our fellow human beings” rang in my
ears.

Hope.
Heart. Home. These were the themes for our National Day Rally this year.
Brought to you by LHL.

He highlighted the
importance of “heart” when he touched on the subject of recent growing xenophobia
among Singaporeans, urging local citizens to “feel for our fellow human beings”
which the “human beings” specifically refers to the foreign nationals on our
shores. His choice on the “heart” as part of the NDR rally struck a chord in me
and moved my heart especially.

For my heart moved
towards the fact that the current achievement of our nation is a collective
effort from our first generation leaders and our senior citizens. Our nation prospers
while the youths and health of our 1Gen leaders and senior citizens fade away. Our
leaders are entitled pensions for their twilight years, our senior citizens deprived.
My heart quivered but LHL’s?

His heart feels apparently
more for foreign nationals, for they are part of “our fellow human beings” while
my heart goes to our senior citizens who are abandoned by their very own
country in which they made to prosper. And this is the same country that has
grown into the richest
nation in the world in terms of GDP.

When our country
legislate “filial piety”, and filial piety disguised as a means to dump the
cost of caring for the elderly onto the next generation, it fails to repay its
gratitude to our senior citizens to which it owes its success to. Gratitude could
come in the forms of greater subsidy for medical care or curbing inflation (please lah! Enough of the excuse that
inflation or anything else is inevitable!) or provisions of affordable nursing home. Affordability
that is pegged to our median income.

This is NOT
welfare but a noble demonstration of appreciation of an inclusive society with
a “heart”. Nevertheless, the past and existing policies contradict the kind of
heart which LHL hold, I am afraid only reserved for his foreign nationals.

If only LHL could
extend his “feel for our fellow human beings” towards our senior citizens, one
of the sources of contributors towards the GDP figures which his big fat bonus is
highly-dependent upon.

At the slightest call
for more social net provisions for our citizens, LHL would slap us instantly in
the face with higher taxes. Despite enjoying more years of budget surpluses than
budget deficit, or when he could afford higher proportion of expenditure for
defence than our education and healthcare, or when he overlooks the astronomical
amount of losses incurred by GIC and TH that could be channelled purposefully into
our healthcare. Whenever
dollars and cents are involved for his citizens, LHL’s heart would shy away. Our misfortune to note that our citizens do not fall into the decimation
of LHL’s “fellow human beings”.

LHL’s heart bled at
the damage of Singapore’s
international reputation as a result of our xenophobia. When Singaporeans were
being labelled as dogs by our taxpayer-funded foreign scholar Sun Xu, LHL’s
reticence pained my heart too. Singapore’s
reputation, closely associated to LHL’s reputation as a leader, is of utmost concern
to him; when it comes to Singaporeans’
reputation, he joins in the bashing of our people earnestly. A clear
demonstration from LHL that foreign nationals and overseas foreigners are “fellow
human beings”. And complete submission from our citizens to all the foreign nationals
is expected.

On the plights of
our citizens due to the never-ending influx of foreigners who LHL invites, he chose
oblivion. His heart goes for the rich and poor foreigners which either group would
bring in the dollars and cents, directly in terms of investment or indirectly
in the form of cheap modern slavery for beefing up profit margins for businesses
and government coffers. Thus the unlimited supply of cheap foreign labour for
MNCs, SMEs and all kinds of businesses and easy PR status given to dubious
quality of talents and even to the likes of hawkers. When it comes to welfare
for local citizens who are being squeezed out in terms of jobs and
infrastructure, LHL’s heart is always elsewhere.

Singaporeans are
expected to feel for foreign nationals as “fellow human beings” while we
ourselves are merely digits. LHL apathetically slammed the call of imposing
minimum wage for our low-income workers who have been to subject to falling real
income throughout the decade in ensuring better profit margins for international
and local business owners at the expense of low-income workers. Ironically too,
ministerial salary moves in the reverse direction of the wages of our low-income
workers and jumps by a huge proportion of a 14 % rise in 2000 and a 60 %
pay rise for ministers in 2007.

All of the above
is only a handful of the realities which our non-elite citizens are treated by
the same leader who flaunted about a compassionate heart on our NDR right
before the eyes of his own people. Inevitably, his words moves my
heart......to the heart of an abysmal disgust.

Whichever shapes LHL
attempts to disguise his heart, his policies betray him too easily. It
is far too apparent that his heart or compassion or whatever name he chooses to
call it, could only be located in the laps of dollars and cents.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

"If we go on like that, this place will fold up, because there'll be no
original citizens left to form the majority, and we cannot have new citizens,
new PRs to settle our social ethos, our social spirit, our social norms." Lee
Kuan Yew

The issue of
threat is ON...again. Falling birth rate of this nation is on the face of the
intimidation card. From LKY’s mouth this time, one of the many mouths of the long queue of politicians
orchestrating a campaign to blame Singaporeans for low fertility. Or to convince Singaporeans the
need for further widening the door for foreign influx.

“People! Like it
or not, the door for foreign influx will open even wider. Full stop. ”

Even if all our
citizens were all hurdled into a corner to procreate like sheep for the
survival of our nation, but humans require 8 months for births and another 18
years at least before these lambs babies can turn economically
productive. Can the politicians wait? Evidently not. The policy-makers need the
cheaper foreign influx more than the average citizen does to line up
their deep pockets.

In the 80s, in the
name of the nation, a 2-child policy was introduced to curb population growth
and penalties landed on those who did not abide. In the 90s, in the name for
the nation again, the policy was reversed. The cry for procreation continued
into the 21st century, yet yielding little results, therefore exhibiting
nothing more than a feeble attempt and little interest from the politicians to
tackle the issue from the core.

Since 2000, our
population has risen by 1.1
million, a 25% increase to the population before the turn of the century,
ie. an addition of 1540 people to every square kilometer of our land area. By
2012, we suddenly realize this figure translates into actual human existence on
our island that eats, sleeps and excretes like anybody else. They bring with
them their cultures, languages and social habits. It is the average Joe who has
to rub shoulders with most of them whilst the policy-makers will be tucked away in their secluded palaces.

LKY threatened us earlier
this Feb during a Chinese New Year celebration although in a different packaging, marring the CNY atmosphere with his words. He associated Japanese’s
stagnant economy with their reluctance to open up to foreign immigrants. His understanding
of the Japanese economy seemed puzzlingly shallow and it is understandable if you notice his excessive eagerness to handcuff every single problem of a nation with foreign
influx as the key.

A closed-door
immigration policy would result in a stagnant growth; an open-door immigration
policy would solve an aging population issue. See? They are both pointing
coincidentally towards the same direction of endorsing a foreign influx. Singaporeans
fear slow growth and at the same time, they will not be able to procreate sufficiently
in the short term to arrest the ageing population issue. Either way points towards the need
of foreign influx. At least, that is the case if we look to where the
politicians are pointing. But we can definitely choose not to be misguided.

Think back to 1995
where our population then was a mere 3.5 million, was our economy in rags? Compared
to our current population of 5.1million, did we see more elderly scavenging for
disused cardboards or slogging at food courts/toilets, more tissue vendors,
CCTV installed at HDB estates, more active loan sharking and prostitution (sex
slavery is happening now) activities, more pawn shops or quick cash facilities
than now?

We might not be living
in paradise in 1995 before the foreign influx tap was turned on, we had enough
of our own problems that needed attention than to handle new additional
problems brought in by the foreign influx.

It is utterly futile
to address the problems highlighted by the politicians as their hidden agenda
is clear as crystal--to import more foreign nationals. No amount of constructive suggestions could satisfy them. Being the crème of the crème, our
politicians are smart enough to tie every problem with a
foreign-influx-solution. Even to the extent of bringing in foreign nationals to
spur the locals’ hide. I will not be surprised if I were to wake up tomorrow to
find a fallen tree in my estate and be told that that is a direct consequence
of my opposition to undiscriminating foreign influx.

Logic and
reasoning fall apart completely in the face of monetary benefits. Foreign
influx boosts GDP directly, benefiting specific groups of citizens/people and exclusive to the average citizens. The inconvenient truth is not about how much
procreation suffices. But to protect the interests of those who benefit the most
from the foreign influx.

I do not doubt the
intelligence of our politicians and their abilities in problems-solving. However, sad to
say, their hearts are elsewhere. And that is lethal to the welfare of our
citizens.

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Emptied the locals
from its table tennis squad and stuffed it with end products from China. Purely
for raising the international profile of Singapore in sports. Apparently, a
victorious game at the Olympic is of immense importance for the government
whilst its peasants think otherwise.

Now, the HORROR of this squad is that the same approach,
ie. the replacement of locals with instant imports, does not confine strictly to
the realm of sports only. It has taken place some number of years ago and it
has accelerated in recent years, at every aspect of this country. And when all local
peasants are effectively displaced or disempowered, who will stand to benefit
from this? Not the peasants of course.

“Let’s not just look at where people come
from. It’s not just where people come from that we should be concerned with,
it’s also what they’ve done for the country.”

As many indignant Singaporeans have
mentioned, no one has complained about the lack of Olympic medals. This issue
was not even raised during the rallies of General Election. Therefore, these so-called
“desired outcomes” are cast by our wiser-than-saints political leaders, where
the benefits rarely filter down to the common peasants, or the country. Mind
you, the peasants do make up the bulk of a country, not only the political elites.

As far as Mr Chan and his co-hort are concerned,
his definition of a country excludes the peasants. Whatever benefits him and
his co-hort will ultimately benefit the country (excluding the peasants).

Statistically speaking, foreign nationals
already constitute 40% of Singapore’s
current population. Well, that is what the official statistics offer to show. It
did not reveal the figures of newly-converted citizens.

On the ground, as a local-born citizen, I
feel on the contrary more like the 40% of the residents on this island. My
recent encounter at a local shopping mall, asked by a foreign sales rep where I
came from, reveals the extent of foreigners on this island. To be mistaken for
a foreign national in my home country! What are the chances?

Our population rose
from 3 million to 5 million in two decades, almost doubling. It creates tensions
and unhappiness between locals and foreigners in recent years at the pace and
the quality of influx. And no way will the government stop just at 5 million. Recent
population report
seeking feedback from citizens shows the attempt to inflate the population
further while trying hard to appear to be appeasing its people under the disguise of a feedback.

Our table tennis squad epitomizes the way this country is managed. Using
foreign imports to achieve objectives solely meant for the economic and
political benefits of the government. Using material gains to lure ravenous
economic migrants and allowing an unlimited pool of these people to come scavenging
for the monetary opportunity. Never mind about the outflow of these opportunists
as there will always be a ready pool of other opportunists to fill up the
vacuum.

If money could solve a problem, then it is not a problem at all. Those
who had their share of economic reaps could take flight; those who have not will
be kept rewarded for their submission.

Money could silent any undesirable dissidence.

It is those who cannot be bought over by pure
monetary rewards are the ones whom the government is fearful of as it cannot
exert total control over them for its own good.

Local-born Singaporeans now account for less than half of the population.
The day for Singapore
to become this 100% imported table tennis squad will not be long from now.
We can condemn the current and former batch of leaders vehemently for such
policy. But the person who should take the ultimate blame is none other than ourselves. For who
have condoned these actions for so many years at the ballot box to allow these political
creatures to ruin lead our country?

The worst of all, we chose reticence and oblivion when there were those who
tried futilely to salvage our country.

Tuesday, August 07, 2012

Another Olympic
individual medal won. A bronze medal that is brought back by China-born Feng
Tianwei this year, in table tennis women's single. After a lapse of 52 years.
The very first and our very first silver Olympic medal was earned by Tan Howe
Liang in weightlifting event in 1960.

Congratulations to
Feng Tianwei, for her hard work, determination and dedication to this sporting
event. She should be proud of herself and be applauded for the achievement. She did it afterall, not us.

Feng came to Singapore in 2007 as a ready-made table tennis
player and was fast tracked to Singapore
citizen in time for showcase in the Beijing Olympics 2008. In short, she was a
direct import to churn medals for Singapore at international level
and for that single purpose she serves. It makes no difference even if she has
lived here for more than a decade or has integrated well. It is a bare fact
that she was b(r)ought over for a purpose.

This bronze medal cannot come at a more convenient time for the Singapore
government as an endorsement to its undisclosed intention of opening up our
country further for foreign workers/talents. Even after controversially pumping
in 2 millions of foreign nationals into our already space-constraint island and
workforce, thrusting millions of foreign nationals upon the citizens, the
number of foreign nationals is still far from satisfactory for the government who
is bent on further foreign imports.

The media propaganda mechanism wasted no time in spinning about Feng's victory,
blatantly claiming it as Singapore's.
Ministers and MPs too jumped readily onto the bandwagon of national pride,
cuddling their baby--foreign talent scheme.

Honestly, I am
really happy for Feng's success at an individual level.

But to see our flag flying at the Olympics because of her is embarrassing and a
disgrace. No, Feng did not embarrass or disgrace us but the persons who went
ahead of employing mercenary to play sports under our flag did. It bares their
pathetic shallowness of the understanding of true victory. It is a humiliation
to the spirit of sports. People who supported the idea of buying sportsmen and
women to play under our flag devalue the purpose of Olympics too.

We have to stop
and check the purpose of winning at the Olympics. Would we be equally convinced
by the quality of sports demonstrated by the UAE if they were to win all the
events with the best athletes purchased across the globe? Would the number of
medals that they accumulate be able to ascertain their excellence in sports?

There is nothing
shameful about losing in a match but to win unscrupulously, it is.

For medals themselves cannot claim victory. Some sportsmen won medals yet lost
in the way they won. And one can be victorious in a defeat too. Just look across
the straits, what Lee Chong Wei, a home-grown badminton player of the minority
in Malaysia
has achieved. Though failing to clinch the gold, but in the least, Malaysia supported
him. For us, we were simply dumped and the easy path of buying better players
to win for us was chosen instead.

Globalization has
seen a rising number of non-native athletes representing their adopted nations
at the Olympics, such as the likes of Mo Farah, born in Somalia, representing Britain;
Nigera-born Francis Obikwelu for Portugal where both were
naturalized before their athletic talents were uncovered in their respective
adopted countries. However, they were not imported directly like Feng Tianwei
into Singapore.

And yes, we do see
China-born ready-made table tennis players representing other nations but often
a mix of local and ready-made players in the participating teams, not to the
extent of Singapore where both women and men teams for London Olympics comprises
entirely of China-born ready-made players. What is the value of such a medal
won by an imported team for Singapore?

Look at our
exhilarated MPs, ministers and president over the newly-minted medal. These are
the leaders of our country and people. Clearly, as it can be seen, from their expressions
on “our victory”, they are the kinds who value only outcome. Anything else is
worthless. Precisely why Minister Khaw Boon Wan has apathetically told our people to get out of his sight and retire in Malaysia if they cannot afford retirement in Singapore. And surely they will not hesitate to discard their
people to produce their desired outcome. They could do that for a worthless
medal, they could do that for anything else.

Whilst Lee Chong
Wei’s country stood behind him in his sporting event, our very own leaders turn away from their own people to foreign imports
who could increase the possibility of winning at the Olympics. Or in other words,
a higher return for the funds invested in sports.

I am not in the
least ashamed that we cannot produce quality local talents to compete at
international level and not to mention the fact that there is no pressing need
to achieve that. And neither is
winning at the Olympics a matter of life and death for us. Why are our leaders
so infatuated with an Olympic medal? Does NOT winning a single medal bring the
downfall of our people? Or the country would go to drains without an Olympic
tinted medal?I see more
glory and honour in sending our home-grown talents to compete and lose than to
buy a player to win for us. If we cannot clinch the victory ourselves, what is
the purpose of winning?

It is the fact. Our government is constantly looking for instant success. Akin
to instant fish. Add water and they will swim for you.

Embarrassingly,
the culture of instant success permeates every level of this country. Rootless trees
to create overnight vegetation, instant imports of expertise from abroad
instead of grooming locally, building casinos to create jobs, open the flood
gates to foreigners to boost population growth. And buying athletes to win at sports.
If only we could buy instant ministers from abroad who are value for money for
our Cabinet.